Stable isotope ecology of Miocene bovids from northern Greece and the ape/monkey turnover in the Balkans

Eurasia was home to a great radiation of hominoid primates during the Miocene. All were extinct by the end of the Miocene in Western Eurasia. Here, we investigate the hypothesis of climate and vegetation changes at a local scale when the cercopithecoid Mesopithecus replaced the hominoid Ouranopithecus along the Axios River, Greece. Because they are herbivorous and were much more abundant than primates, bovids are preferred to primates to study climate change in the Balkans as a cause of hominoid extinction. By measuring carbon stable isotope ratios of bovid enamel, we conclude that Ouranopithecus and Mesopithecus both evolved in pure C₃ environments. However, the large range of δ¹³C values of apatite carbonate from bovids combined with their molar microwear and mesowear patterns preclude the presence of dense forested landscapes in northern Greece. Instead, these bovids evolved in rather open landscapes with abundant grasses in the herbaceous layer. Coldest monthly estimated temperatures were below 10 °C and warmest monthly temperatures rose close to or above 20 °C for the two time intervals. Oxygen isotope compositions of phosphate from bulk samples did not show significant differences between sites but did show between-species variation within each site. Different factors influence oxygen isotope composition in this context, including water provenience, feeding ecology, body mass, and rate of amelogenesis. We discuss this latter factor in regard to the high intra-tooth variations in δ¹⁸O_p reflecting important amplitudes of seasonal variations in temperature. These estimations fit with paleobotanical data and differ slightly from estimations based on climate models. This study found no significant change in climate before and after the extinction of Ouranopithecus along the Axios River. However, strong seasonal variations with relatively cold winters were indicated, conditions quite usual for extant monkeys but unusual for great apes distributed today in inter-tropical regions.     

珠江口盆地西部新近纪高分辨率生物地层及海平面变化分析

珠江口盆地西部新近系主要为陆架浅海沉积环境,发育良好的海相砂岩储集层和多套储盖组合。因此,对这些砂体的成因及赋存位置的海平面变化研究至关重要。在有孔虫及钙质超微化石资料所建立的珠江口盆地西部新生代年代地层格架基础上,以有孔虫个体大于0.25mm的浮游有孔虫丰度和百分含量为依据,参照微体古生物化石带、岩性、电测和地震资料,总结出三级旋回边界和最大海泛面识别标志,从而提出具有国际对比意义的三级层序划分对比方案,对盆地内18口井进行了层序划分,识别出了2个完整的二级层序和15个三级层序。根据南海海域表层沉积物建立起的浮游有孔虫含量与水深的定量关系,得出量化古水深数据,辅以古生态成因相及特征沉积构造分析、海岸上超分析编制了海平面变化曲线,指出珠江口盆地西部新近系受拗陷阶段持续沉降影响,形成不同于海退型全球海平面变化的台阶式海侵特征。     

从孢粉学论证东海盆地下第三系的存在

传统的地质学观点,将东海盆地与台湾海相地层相提并论,以至误解东海盆地只有上第三系沉积。而在东海海域龙井构造中首钻的龙井一井和次钻的东海一井下部地层中所获得的孢粉组合证明,东海盆地龙井构造史前的早第三纪时曾与苏北相连成陆,只是在晚渐新世一早中新世时才全面解体接受海侵,这一事实表明,其成盆历史大体与南海相仿。     

Airborne fungal spores in the Campus of Anchieta (La Laguna,Tenerife/Canary Is.)

A quantitative and qualitative study was carried out of the atmospheric fungal propagules in two university buildings in the Campus of Anchieta (La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) and in the outdoor atmosphere, in order to ascertain the most abundant fungi and the concentration of spores in the air, as possible sources of respiratory allergies caused by this type of aeroallergens. Sampling was carried out using two kinds of traps (Burkard Personal Culture Sampler and Burkard Personal Slide Sampler), as well as adhesive tape. Sample 1, indoor, identified between 650-320 CFU m -3 depending on the culture medium, with outdoor values between 670-440 CFU m -3 ; sample 2, recorded between 630-80 CFU m -3 inside and 580-300 CFUm -3 in the outdoor atmosphere. The most represented genera were Cladosporium and Penicillium , although the following were also identified: Agaricales, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botrytis, Drechslera, Coprinus, Curvularia, Chaetomium, Exserohilum, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Leptosphaeria , Myxomycetes, Paecilomyces, Pleospora, Stemphylium, Tetraploa, Torula and Ulocladium .     

柴西红三旱一号-牛鼻子梁地区下油砂山组物源与沉积体系

目前普遍认为位于柴达木盆地西部阿尔金山前的红三旱一号-牛鼻子梁地区在新近系下油砂山组(N_2xy)沉积时,只发育向西南方向流动的牛鼻子梁物源所形成的冲积扇-辫状河三角洲-湖泊沉积体系,这种认识难以解释以下事实:第一,在红三旱一号地面构造南翼露头发育一套约650 m厚的N_2xy灰色砾岩;第二,二维地震测线QY0680和CDM1150以及露头剖面表明,在N_2xy沉积时,不整合地面构造及其附近约190 km~2的区域呈一个北西走向的剥蚀区,该剥蚀区有效地分隔了红三旱一号物源体系和牛鼻子梁物源体系;第三,在N_2xy沉积时,牛鼻子梁地区是阿尔金山向东南方向延伸的古鼻梁,该古鼻梁是牛鼻子梁以北地区物源向西南方向流动的屏障.在综合研究的基础上,提出在N2xy沉积时,研究区发育由红三旱一号物源、牛鼻子梁西口物源和牛参1井以北物源所控制的扇三角洲-滨浅湖滩坝沉积体系.     

南海北部陆架晚第三纪δ~(13)C记录与古生产力——以珠江口盆地BY7-1-1和PY33-1-1井为例

南海珠江口盆地ＢＹ７－１－１及ＰＹ３３－１－１井晚第三纪浮游有孔虫的丰度、底栖有孔虫小泡虫超科中葡萄虫（Ｕｖｉｇｅｒｉｎａ）和小泡虫（Ｂｕｌｉｍｉｎａ）的相对丰度（Ｕ＋Ｂ含量）以及浮游有孔虫壳体的δ１３Ｃ记录表明,晚第三纪期间表层水生产力总体上呈增高趋势,其中早中新世为表层水生产力较低的时期,但由Ｎ４至Ｎ８带表现为递增趋势,中—晚中新世为高生产力时期,早上新世为又一个高生产力时期。其中中—晚中新世时期本区最可能处于非上升流的高生产力地区,而早上新世为受上升流影响的高生产力地区。     

雷州半岛南部地区晚第三纪沉积古环境演化

通过提取280号钻孔岩心中有孔虫组合的信息,对岩心中浮游和底栖两大类有孔虫的分布、底栖有孔虫的组合、特殊属种的生态及复合分异度、优势度进行分析计算,重塑了本区沉积相,为雷州半岛南部地区晚第三纪以来沉积古环境演化提供了研究资料。